Chapter 129: The Gods' Council (Bonus)

The next day, the gods convened an emergency meeting, prompted by the revelation of Ishtar's cooperation with the Evilus.

The gods of Orario gathered once again, this time to deliver judgment on Ishtar.

Due to the severity of the situation, nearly every god in Orario was required to attend.

"Wow... I never would've guessed the god working with the Evilus would be Ishtar."

"Yeah, no one could've seen that coming."

No one had ever imagined Ishtar might be connected to the Evilus. Everyone knew about her "Ishtar's Spring" and her ongoing feud with Freya back in Tenkai. Her behavior in Genkai wasn't all that different.

But even so, few would've believed she'd stoop so low as to collaborate with the Evilus.

Still, in hindsight, it wasn't impossible. Given her obsession with opposing Freya, teaming up with the Evilus didn't seem that far-fetched after all.

It was just unfortunate that Loki had exposed her so easily.

Presiding over the meeting was none other than Ganesha, a god famously fond of lively gatherings.

However, even Ganesha, known for his energetic flair, was unusually somber today. After all, the matter of Ishtar's trial was no laughing matter.

"Today isn't the time for celebrations," Ganesha said. "Let's get straight to the point. We'll begin by reporting on the events of yesterday."

His usual cheer replaced by a serious demeanor, Ganesha continued.

"Yesterday, Elgarm from the Loki Familia came to me. He reported that their investigation had uncovered an underground space beneath the Pleasure District—one that connects directly to the area outside Orario."

"At first, I didn't believe Ishtar could be so reckless. But when Elgarm mentioned the recent influx of unfamiliar faces in the Pleasure District, it reminded me of a report I had received from one of my messengers."

"In fact, just a few days ago, members of my Familia also reported a spike in strangers appearing in the district. I had them investigate further, but I never imagined Ishtar would be behind it."

Ganesha laid out the intel he'd received—not to shift blame, but to admit his own oversight.

He genuinely regretted not paying closer attention at the time. If he had, perhaps he would've had more time to address the situation with the Ishtar Familia properly.

"After learning what the Ishtar Familia had done, my Familia, along with Loki's, moved to surround the Pleasure District. At the same time, with Rige's help, we located three underground tunnels in a concealed area outside Orario."

"We also captured over a dozen Evilus members in the vicinity. Some of them had even begun recruiting from among Familia that haven't yet come under suspicion."

Ganesha didn't elaborate further.

It was certain the captured individuals were tied to the Evilus, but they hadn't uttered a single word, so there was no way to confirm whether some of those Familias were officially part of the faction.

Ganesha had received Ouranos's approval to monitor those groups, but that part wasn't worth delving into during this assembly.

"After entering the tunnels, we discovered an underground space much like the one beneath the Pleasure District."

"In that place, we found hundreds of children in tattered clothing—both human and demi-human. Most were Pallum, Elf, and Dwarf."

...

All the gods present instinctively turned to look at Loki.

Now they understood why only Loki had caught wind of this part of the intel.

After all, weren't Pallum, Elf, and Dwarf the races of Loki Familia's three top-tier Lv.6 adventurers?

At times like this, even the gods couldn't help but marvel at the idiocy of the Evilus. Kidnapping members of Loki Familia's core trio—were they asking to die?

"Ishtar really crossed the line."

"Yeah... I actually kind of liked the Pleasure District's Familia members. I didn't expect Ishtar to go this far."

The Pleasure District had long been integrated into Orario's culture. Even gods visited regularly.

Some had even found true love there.

Of course, that was the rare exception—most went simply for entertainment.

But now, the Pleasure District was off-limits.

At least for the foreseeable future.

"Please quiet down."

Ganesha cut off the rising murmurs and took back control of the meeting.

"At present, Ishtar has been taken into custody. Due to her actions violating divine law, Ouranos has officially confirmed her crimes."

"Because her actions crossed the line, she won't just be exiled—she's being sent back to the heavens."

The weight of that judgment sank heavily into the room.

The gods all understood the severity of Ishtar's crimes, but up until now, such punishment typically resulted in exile. Why had it escalated to this extent?

"Please wait."

At that moment, a god who had been quietly seated suddenly stood up.

He had a strikingly handsome face, and the furrow in his brow betrayed his concern.

It was risky to question this decision—such action could easily be misconstrued as sympathy for the Evilus. Yet he stood, driven by a sense of justice or something else that wouldn't allow him to remain silent.

His name was Dionysus, a mid-tier Familia God in Orario.

"Ganesha, don't you think Ouranos's sentence is a bit excessive?"

"Historically, hasn't someone in Ishtar's position typically only been expelled?"

While cooperation with the Evilus was undoubtedly grave, even if an Evilus-aligned god were caught, repatriation was rare—unless their actions had caused a disaster with widespread consequences.

Like the infamous tragedy on the 27th floor of the Dungeon.

In most other cases, the Guild simply opted for expulsion.

Being cast out of Orario was already a severe penalty.

If deportation was a death sentence, expulsion was closer to a suspended sentence—a grim reprieve that could end abruptly.

The world outside Orario wasn't safe. Monsters still roamed. If a banished god ran into one and wasn't lucky, that reprieve might only last days.

Sure, "death" and "reprieve" might sound alike, but the difference between them was enormous.

"This matter involves Loki's three top adventurers directly," Ganesha explained. "So Loki strongly recommended repatriation for Ishtar."

"In light of the fact that this incident involves the Pallum, Elf, and Dwarf communities, Ouranos accepted the proposal."

"Moreover, many gods voiced their support for the decision."

Ganesha glanced at Dionysus, silently flagging him as someone to watch.

"I personally support the decision."

"In addition, Loki, Hestia, Hephaestus, and Freya have also expressed their agreement."

Dionysus looked over at Freya and Loki and seemed to understand.